In the Days of Matthias (closed)

[Menassa]

Northern Menassa.
Gullelian Hills.

The sun had just risen over the lush green hills of the Gullelian region, and the small village of Yiphas Eiarecha. The town was a bustle with assorted people doing there assorted business, men and women making their way to prayer, children and teenagers heading to the markets and stores to acquire varied items for their families before heading off to school. Everything in Yiphas Eiarecha seemed peaceful and tranquil, but everything was wrong.

In the city’s market two people roamed around with a small sense of direction. One a teenage girl cloaked in a simple white dress with a pink bow wrapped around it. The other, a five year old child dressed in a simple blue dress with a pink bow wrapped around it. The older child shared similar features with the younger one which would lead someone to say that they were ‘related’. The older child walked stern and upright, while her younger counterpart skipped merrily from stall to stall looking at the assorted produce and sometimes even touching it even after the scolding of her sister. The two sisters made their way slowly and carefully through the market until they reached the end, where the stone path lead from the market to their house on the hill.

The two started on their way up the stone path to their house on the hill but were obstructed by two large men clean shaven men with pointed chins and draped in metal armor similar to that of a roman legion with a blue tunic instead of a red one. “Boker Tov,” one of the men said to the children. “My name is Judah and this is my associate Jonathan, we are associates of your father the Nassi and he has asked for you to follow us back to our office for a few questions,” said one of the large men with a smiling face to the older child. “If you would please follow us we can get you two back home before lunch.” The older sister shuffled uneasily in the gaze of the two large men. She knew her father was the Nassi for the tribe of Dan but she thought that her father would have told her if something like this was going to happen. Against her best wishes she goaded her sister on to follow the two large men in metal armor and blue tunics, hoping she had made the right choice.

Later that night.

Daniel Ben Rav Nasson stood out on his balcony watching the setting sun; he leaned his right arm against of the alabaster pillars of his house and gazed out into the open. “Daniel, I’m worried,” his wife said walking up behind him and rubbing his shoulders. “The girls were supposed to be back a few hours ago and I can’t find them anywhere, I even went into the city and checked the market but they weren't there either,” she ended in a worried plea. “Don’t worry Tasphercha; I’m sure they’re fine. Why don’t you go to bed and I’ll be there in a minute.” He said rubbing his wife’s hands.

As she finally left his eyesight Daniel went from the pillar he was leaning on the railing that guarded his balcony. Daniel leaned against the railing and looked up at the many stars that were in the sky that night. “Moon’s beautiful tonight, is it not Daniel?” said a voice from behind Daniel. “Yeshuah Matthias! Don’t sneak up on people like that” Daniel said incredibly startled and shaking a little. “I heard you’ve lost your children, and they’re no were to be found. It’s a pity your daughters were so beautiful.” Matthias said putting a hand on a small curved knife that he had looped around his belt. “I’m sorry Daniel, but we both knew that this was coming. You’ve ignored my offer to join us and you’ve spat in the face of the party.” Matthias yelled grinning from ear to ear. Matthias put his large hand on Daniel shoulder and pushed till he was down on his knees.
“And he will deliver the many into the hands of the few.” Matthias began. “The impure into the hands of the pure.”

“Stop this Matthias,” Daniel pleaded.

“The strong into the hands of the weak.”

“We don’t need this; you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Don’t test HaAchzaria, she’ll destroy you and your whole party.”

“The wicked into the hands of the righteous, and we will kindle your flame in your great sanctuary, Amain.” Matthias ended the prayer and lowered the knife to Daniel’s neck and with one clean swipe he released the contents of Daniel’s jugular vein all over the smooth marble floor.

“This is Matthias to the Embassy, the target has been eliminated making my way to the LZ” Matthias said into a small radio.


City of Yerushalim
3 Days Later
Bais HaMikdash

“Good morning Eli.” Queen Chaiya said to the high priest as they both walked into the large gates that led up to the temple. “Good morning your highness, how are we doing today?” Eli asked politely as he held the door open for the queen and her body guard and whoever else was with her. “Baruch HaShem, Baruch HaShem it’s a great day to be here in the Temple. I wonder Eli will you be preforming the Sacrifices today? Or will some Kohen Hedyot be doing the work?” Chaiya asked as she walked with Eli. “Today I believe it is I who will be preforming some of the sacrifices, I think the one given by the Nassi of Zevulan’s wife just gave birth to a girl and she’s brought her offering.” Eli said adjusting the golden plaque on his turban. “How very interesting, my attendant and I would like to view it if you don’t mind.” Chaiya said asked looking up at the High Priest. “Sure, you and your attendant can watch the sacrifice even if it does put me under pressure,” Eli said before laughing a little. “In any case I must be off, I’ve sacrifices to perform,” Eli ended walking off into the crowd.

After the sacrifice was over Chaiya and her Nalayan body guard headed outside of the Temple and made their way down the stairs but the crowd was too thick for them to press forward in a timely manner so Chaiya decided to wait there for the crowd to thin out. While they were waiting for the crowd to thin out Eli came up beside them as well as a group of what would seem like young students surrounding an old man. “Arorah Ger Toshav, curses upon you and your idol worshiping ways! May the lord on High and all his messengers eradicate your name from the earth! And cursed be upon you Malcas HaRah you evil queen who allows this to take place and in god’s temple no less!” One of the younger students shouted angrily. “Guards, arrest this man.” The queen said looking at the Temple guards who wore Lorica Segmentata with a blue tunic and a small straight sword and no head wear. The guards stood there stiff and silent and did not move a muscle. “Guards! I said arrest this man!” again the guards ignored the queen. Almost unnoticeable the high priest nodded his head and the guards tackled the man and dragged him away. “I am very sorry that this has happened.” The queen said to her body guard. “I do hope you know none of the things he said were true at all.” Chaiya said trying to reassure her guard that nothing bad was happening. “Now that we've resolved that let’s get back to the palace. I believe we have some guests waiting for us,” the queen ended as the three of them walked to the palace. A small grin appeared on Eli’s face, a small grin of satisfaction, things were already beginning to change and change, change required sacrifice, a thing Eli was all to familiar with.

[Phonencia]

(will edit into post)

[Nalaya]

City of Yerushalim
Bais HaMikdash

Thraele dal Khaliizin--more properly Yath Thraele Valaan dal Khaliizin--had been many things in her life: warrior and healer, raider and ravager, agent of vengeance and servant of darkness. The black tattoos across her face were the stylized aspect of a lioness's features, running over most of her body and accented by the raised welts of scars. But now, as she reached the age of thirty, she had found her calling as a protector. She had tasted her death on the winds, sought penance for her failings through blood as was the way of her people. The Mak'ur was a lean, hard figure among the relatively sheltered Menassans with an inner fire that smoldered in her steel-colored eyes. She moved with feline grace and looked on the world impassively.

The only constant in her life was loyalty. To her people, her faith, her friends, and now Chaiya. Money was nothing. It was her word that made the difference. She had sought a cause to fight for and found it here, now that her homeland was at peace. Pain, suffering, battle--these things were penance. War was purification by flame. She could feel it here, fluttering through the populace in murmurs and sidelong glances.

The country was weak, full of those who quashed their passions in the service of a silent god. One did not ask Heaven and the powers that ruled there for help, for that meant you did not deserve it. The only law of nature was survival. Thraele knew that well, just as she well knew the primal call of the hunt, the siren song of combat. Be predator, and not prey.

In Chaiya was a strange artifice and gentleness that Thraele had no name for. But it was something innocent, like a child. Something to be protected by her while others scorned it. She was never far from the Queen, even if she could not be seen--like a lioness and a cub. Even now, she turned her steel eyes on Eli with a watchful distance that seemed to suggest he, like everyone else, was a potential threat. Nor were the guards spared the basilisk look of a hunter waiting for them to make a mistake, to have their blood spilled crimson upon the ground.

It all came down to blood, in the end.

"I do not worship idols," she said in her harsh, clipped way. Her accent was alien to them, just like her mind. She watched the man be ushered away. The animal in her whispered of how good it would be to see him squirm beneath claws. But she was not Yathallar and still had humanity in her to wish him well. "Your guards need not to have acted. My arm is sufficient."

[Menassa]

"Oh don't worry Thraele," Chaiya had said leaning over to her body guard and friend. "That's what the Hasmoneans hired these guards to do, remove dissidents," Chaiya ended with a cute type smile on her face while Eli stood their staunchly.

As they walked home from the Temple to the Palace it was apparent that the city was filled with more of these Hasmonean guards than it was filled with citizens. All the guards still wore the same armor and robe; however these guards were different because instead of the commonplace straight sword they wielded assault rifles and other firearms. All around the city they marched up and down left and right, they were nearly at every corner that Chayia, Thraele, and Eli walked. Every so often they stopped to maybe chat with a citizen or woo the slave girls with their bulging muscular frame and bright shining armor. One thing could be said for sure, the old soldiers who were thing and without armor were no were to be found at all the city, only there Hasmonean replacements.

"Isn't it nice Thraele, how the Hasmoneans decided to give us all these soldiers to watch over the city and the Temple free of charge?" Chaiya asked looking up at Thraele again with sort of a cutesy type smile. "I'll tell you one thing it's good that it doesn't come out of the Royal treasury. In these times we need to keep all the money we can get, because you know, anything can happen at any time." ended Chaiya her face changing from that of a child to that of a jaded adult for a moment. "Eli when you go back to the Temple and you see Matthias at the embassy could you inform him that I said thank you again for giving us all these guards to keep the city and the Temple safe," Chaiya said as she walked onward.

When they had finally reached the gate of the palace the guards who were dressed in armor had all but disappeared, now only tall slender men dressed in dark black uniforms and masks depicting skulls on them awaited at the palace gates. "Welcome your highness, it's good to see your back go right through," one of the guards said to the queen. "Wait a minute, your highness were you aware there was a foreigner following you? Your holiness," The guard said now turning to Eli. "Is this one of your Shifcha Canannim?" the guard asked through his black face cover. "Are you new here?" the queen asked a little stunned. "This is my body guard and friend Thraele dal Khaliizin and you should do best to mind your tone around her," the queen said looking directly up at the man hoping she was staring into his eyes. "Yes your highness... my many apologies," the man said opening the gate quickly while looking down at the floor in shame.

After they had entered the large palace doors the three went upstairs to the man dining hall to perhaps grab a bite to eat before starting the days errands. "Interesting," Eli said picking up a newspaper. "It appears that the Nassi for the tribe of Dan was assassinated last night and his children abducted, reports point to the leading splinter group HaDani to be the perpetrators of this heinous act," Eli said reading directly from the paper. "Baruch dayin Emes," the Chaiya said. "Blessed is the true judge," Eli translated looking over at Thraele. "What do you think about this recent turmoil Thraele?" Chaiya asked looking at her guard and offering her some food.

[Nalaya]

"Something is ill in this land of milk and honey," Thraele said quietly, accepting the food. She ate with an almost delicate care, lips parting to expose canines and eyeteeth filed and capped to points befitting a wild animal. Her eyes were heavily hooded as with sleep, but she was very much aware. It lulled people into a false sense of security. "It spreads like a cancer and now it has claimed the tribe of Dan."

It was no secret that she did not like the guards. Thraele was a student of power and had spent much of her natural life between battles reading and studying. If war was an extension of politics, as von Clausewitz had suggested in his book, then Thraele had spent her time well studying the rise and fall of the powerful. And she knew that hired mercenaries who swore allegiance to another would be the death of any nation.

"All things have their price," she had commented once at the mention of Hasmoneans providing free military support. "And this one will be steep." But now she would not allow people into her thoughts, because Eli was at the table and she regarded him with a mixture of distrust and contempt. The first, because she doubted he had Chaiya's best interest at heart and the second, because he was a priest obsessed with little rules and regulations rather than the important things in life. But she could respect him as a dangerous political figure.

Instead, she settled on an honest but more subtle commentary. "History provides us with many lessons. These events are not something small to be tossed aside. They are but the tip of ice protruding above water. And beneath the surface is something large and capable of sending a ship of state to the bottom of the sea."

[Menassa]

"Zeh B'Darshinan B'Sainai, this is how it was taught at Sainai," Eli said with a laugh, sarcastically referencing of course the ancient saying related when someone said something to be very true. "These are wise words to come from a warrior, who I assume has dwelt not in the house of the priests and the scribes. However I do agree with you on one thing, something is odd about this whole murder to the Nassi of Dan," Eli noted before taking a sip of wine.

As a priest Eli did not take liking to soldiers, especially those who fought for a price. The high priest believed that lacked a certain loyalty that could be found among warriors who longed to defend their homeland or something that was more valuable than a few coins in a purse. However Eli was not aware what money could do, being the High Priest of the entire kingdom he was afforded every luxury in the land, and being one of the leading members of the Hasmonaen party, this only increased Eli's deep pockets.

"There is no price to pay here, we have a sense of HaKaras HaTov or gratitude as you would understand it to those who protect us, and those with purley altruistic motives that is even better," continued Eli as he put the newspaper down. "I do wonder in the end how this will impact the council," Eli said now turning from the guard and to the queen. "The voice of the tribe of Dan was the strongest against the Hasmonneans than any other tribe in all of Menassa. Perhaps this will adjust the power balance in the court don't you think your highness? It seems to me someone in the priesthood knows something that we don't eh?" Eli asked while the queen was silent.

A knock was heard at the door startling the queen and conveniently distracting her from the question at hand. The door slowly opened and one of the queen's servants who were standing in the doorway spoke. "Your highness, the Phonencian delegates are here, shall I send them in?" the queen nodded and the servants quickly disappeared. A few moments later the servants reappeared with a few people behind them. "The Phonencian delegates your highness." The servants quickly bowed and left the room.

Among the group of Phonencians was Chana ben Shimon HaAroor who had, against her father’s wishes married a Phonencian prince and went off to live with him there. It had been a while since she was in Menassa and she was excited to return home. "Hello your highness," Chana said bowing, she many times her senior. "Your holiness hello to you," Chana said bowing to the High Priest. "Any child of Shimon is a friend of mine.... regardless of the events that happened." Eli said trying to lightly trod on Chana's father's suicide. "Hello, I am Chana of Phoenicia, daughter of the former High Priest." Chana said to Thraele with a slight bow, she had left her husband and her two children standing at the door.

[Phonencia]

(It's PHONENCIA NOT PHOENICIA!)

Matthew Soraf, the Duke of Gracemeria and a veteran of the Phonencian Imperial Guard strode through the door immediately after his wife. He was in his mid 30s with dark brown hair in a military buzz cut, green eyes and a muscular frame. He wore a pair of black BDU pants with a crimson stripe down the side of each leg, the markings of an officer. Stretched across his muscled chest was a black polo shirt, the Imperial Guard's seal on the left breast and a ball-link chain around his neck disappearing under the collar. Attached to the chain were his dogtags with a second smaller chain hanging off it with a black steel cross clipped to it, a traditional attachment for Guardsmen. His 16 year old son Alexander stood to his right, hands clasped behind his back in a similairly gruff and disciplined look. Alex was 16 but already displayed his father's features. A thinner, oval shaped face with dark brown hair, green eyes and tan skin. He wore a pair of dark grey BDU pants with a more muted red stripe, a part of a "Youngblood"s uniform. The cadets in the Imperial Guard (usually sons of Guardsmen) were usually referred to as Youngbloods by their adult superiors. They wore dark grey uniforms, disallowed from wearing the pure black uniform before adulthood and formal entry into the Guard. Alex also wore a dark grey polo shirt, a similair pair of dogtags with an attached cross hanging off his neck. Matt and Chana Soraf's daughter, Jessica, was fairly tall (for a woman) with long blonde hair and lightly tanned skin. She wore a red blouse with a black knee length skirt, a simple silver cross hung around her neck.

"Good day Your Highness. I'm Cadet-Lieutenant Alexander Soraf."
Alexander greeted, bowing as the Imperial Guard's customs required. He was tall and lean, his thin frame starting to thicken with muscle that every Phonencian boy typically developed around that age.
"It's a pleasure to meet you majesty. I'm Jessica Soraf."
The teenaged girl said politely.
"Queen Chaiya. Eli."
Matthew acknowledged gruffly, nodding to each individual. He was well acquainted with both already, having assisted in quelling insurgencies from the Tribe of Dan two decades ago.

[Nalaya]

Thraele leaned back in her seat with the lazy air of a great hunting cat, no less dangerous for her supposedly sedentary nature. Her hooded eyes were watching, always watching. These newcomers were walking into a situation of incredible danger, though the High Priest was blind to it. Indolence and luxury had made him soft and pliable, dulled his instincts and robbed him of the cunning needed to survive. Her people had only on god, and it was power. Indulgence and opulence made one weak. That was why she had never allowed herself to stoop to it.

The newcomers, at least the men, looked like warriors. How skilled, she would only estimate after seeing them in combat. Odd, that the two women were not equally honed for combat. The female of a species in the wild was usually the more dangerous and Thraele saw no reason to expect otherwise from humans. Phonencia...perhaps it was another place to study.

She wanted to listen and hear what brought them at such an interesting hour. Surely, it was not merely to renew old acquaintances. More was always at work, wheels turning within wheels like a machine. Whether they were friend or foe, a true warrior knew the intentions and measure of those surrounding them.

[Menassa]

"The pleasure is all mine," the queen said in sort of a cutesy childlike voice to the two royal teenagers from her past. "It is always a pleasure to have you here in my country Matthew; your kind is always welcome in my palace." Chaiya said to Matthew before standing up to look at him. The queen enjoyed that her Aunt was here in the country after all her mother was Chana's sister. It had been a long time since the queen saw anyone who looked like her mother and Chana was a pleasant surprise.

"Pleasure to see you again Matthias," Eli said to Matthew who he addressed by what he could only assume was his name. "It is also a pleasure to meet your children here too, I am very glad that they could make it, I am Eli," He said now addressing the children. "I knew your mother's father very well, he and I were great friends, and he was a very learned man," Eli said hoping that Matthew had not tarnished the good name of Shimon the high priest before him. "I remember hearing about you two when you were very young, unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of meeting you back then, but I am sure seeing the two of you know will make up for it," Eli said before noticing the cross's around their necks.

Eli leaned over and whispered in the queen's ear: "Mah Zeh, avoda zarah al ha rosh? What is this idol worship on their necks?" Eli said very quietly hoping Matthew would not here and start some scene which he was known for. "Ani Loh Yo dea avoda zarah, Matisyahu as ha avoed-cechavim. I do not know, it is probably something to do with their father," the queen responded with a wave of a hand and Eli leaned back in his chair with a frown on his face.

"Well niece, tell me what is new with you, and I see you have a brand new guard. High I'm Chana by the way," Chana asked the queen and Thraele while a few servants brought chairs for everyone to sit down in "Oh nothing, the people are still the same with their little squabbles and quarrels but the priests have formed their own order the Hasmoneans," Chaiya said as Eli nodded. "It really is for the better of the nation, all the priests united under one banner with one voice," Eli said smiling and pouring a few glasses of line. "Oh I am sorry Matthias, do your children drink? I'm not aware of the age in Phonecia but here in Menassa, they're old enough." Eli ended pouring enough wine for all of them.

[Phonencia]

"Yes. So I've heard."
Alex replied. His sister smiled timidly and sat down with her mother. Matthew glanced around the table then slid into a chair that's back was facing a wall rather than a door or window. Alex sat beside him, both of them sitting up straight and astute.
"It's quite alright. They're of age."
the Imperial Guardsman replied, taking his own glass of wine. He held it up to the light for a moment then gave it a light sniff, savoring the smell and keeping alert for the scent of poison. Chana was the only Menassan (now technically a Phonencian) that he trusted. Chaiya came in at a close second due to her childlike innocence but he still didn't like to turn his back around her. Eli made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and always had. Their whispering did little to alleviate his nerves, especially since it was in Hebrew. He couldn't make out individual words but just to screw with their pysche a little he smiled in a friendly manner and said,
"hag Molad Sameach v'Shanah Tovah."

(I typed that correctly right?)

[Menassa]

The fourteen foot cedar doors at the end of the room slowly opened. A man entered, he was about six feet tall, he walked slowly with his long arms behind his back. His hair was somewhat blonde with a bit of brown mixed in and flowed down to his shoulders. He had a short cropped beard with a bit of a mustache to match and he wore the traditional garb of a temple priest. His white long linen robe draped against the floor and the tight linen belt clearly separated his upper half from his lower. This man was holding the traditional pointed turban in his hand leaving his head totally uncovered. He advanced slowly towards the table where the Queen her bodyguard and Eli was sitting, the entire time he moved he did not speak a word he simply walked and quietly stood there.

"My queen," the man finally said taking a bow. "Ani avdecha ben amosecha, I am your servant son of your handmaid" he said quoting the famous psalm.

As he finished the two guards that had been standing by the door entered the room and shut the door behind them. These two guards were dressed in the same fashion as the guards from the temple, however instead of just segmented armor they had full steel plates with Menorahs on them. Each of them wielded an assault rifle, an AR-15 as it was called in other lands, they had them raised and pointed towards the group of people.

"Eli! What's going on? Who is this?!" Chaiya said as she jumped up from her chair, which caused her crown to tilt a bit, she straightened it.
"My Queen, this is Mattisyahu Yann-"
"Matthias Janneas" the man interuppted the High Priest. "I'd prefer to be called by my chosen name if you will Eli."
"Matthias Janneas, he's a priest in the Temple." Eli said as he also got up from his chair and moved to the queen's side.

"Why are the guards in here then?" Chaiya asked looking towards the guards, they remained silent, guns still raised.
"Protection, of course." Matthias said as he placed his hat on the table.
"Why do you not cover your head priest?" Chaiya asked moving over to the table and placing her arms on it. Her hair began to fall towards the sides of her face as she moved more rapidly.
"Cover your head, so the fear of God will be upon you." Matthias said quoting the famous Talmudic passage. "But in this instance highness the fear of men should be upon you.

A commotion was heard, what could be discerned was screaming, a woman's voice rose above the others she seemed to be screaming. An explosion, more screaming, gunfire. Eli and Chaiya both rushed towards the window. The Palace guards were all but gone, replaced with the temple guards that looked exactly like the two in the room. In the distance there was a pillar of smoke rising from the city below and people could be seen frantically running around.

"Eli? What's going on!?" Chaiya screamed at the High Priest, she demanded answers.
"I do not know your highness." Eli said acting dumbfounded.
"We need to be out there, an attack! " Chaiya said as she charged toward the door.

The guards cocked back their weapons and Matthias stood in Chaiya's way.

"Why don't you go sit back in that chair, and let's all of us have a little chat." Matthias said looking down at the queen. Chaiya looked frantically around the room with a hopeless face, she did not know what to do.

[Nalaya]

Thraele was not amused.

The lean Mak'ur woman unfolded from her seat, her features schooled into that leonine impassivity. She could feel the familiar weight of the pistol concealed in her kevlar motorcycle jacket—a popular piece of apparel in Nalaya, for its knife resistant properties. She was tall and hard, a creature of iron will and iron muscle. She knew better than to reach for her gun, however. These men had rifles and there were more of them than there were of her.

Her eyes narrowed for a split second at Eli’s act. She had been around the C’rintrin back in the days before her wandering took her far from her homeland. She did not necessarily understand the intricacies of Menassan politics, but power was the same the world over. This was a nasty situation, one there would be no easy extrication from. She could probably kill Eli before they shot her. However, while she did not fear death, she had no intention of violating her oath and leaving Chaiya defenseless.

“Yes, we are all friends here,” Thraele drawled, accent thick and harsh compared to theirs. She seemed perfectly relaxed, steel eyes still half-closed. In her mind’s eye, she was still plotting her next move. She needed to get Chaiya to safety from this palace coup, responsible as she was for the young woman’s safety. Her scarred face arranged itself into a crooked grin that bared her long canines.

I am a whisper on the wind, a ghost in the shadows, a flicker at the corner of the eye. I have kissed farewell the things of this world. I have surrendered myself to the power of the divine, in this life and the next, she recited in the privacy of her own mind, a fragment of the Linath to stir to life her passions. Beneath the surface, Thraele was a woman furious. Her spirit raged at the affront that was an assault on Chaiya. However, a good huntress was patient. A good huntress was quiet. A good huntress watched.

What was a lioness but a huntress?

“Have no fear,” she murmured softly to Chaiya. “You have put your faith in me and I would not see it misplaced.”

She stayed relaxed and loose. A less experienced guard would be tense and twitchy, but that was not Thraele. She was ready to go for her gun or one of her many knives, but she was not reaching for them yet. It was still possible that they might be able to talk their way out of this, no matter how unlikely. That was why, grudgingly, she kept a tight rein on the vicious, blistering anger that had made its home in her soul. She kept smiling instead, as if she had no problem with the priests.

The divine had a purpose for her, as it had a purpose for all things. She had a feeling that it would not end here. Not yet.

[Menassa]

Another explosion, more screams, more gunfire. Indescribable shouting and screaming could be heard in the hallways, boots could be heard shuffling back and forth and the chaotic noise of the city outside the palace walls did not assist Chaiya in trying to discern the noise. Matthias waited for the queen and her bodyguard to sit down before he spoke, Eli remained standing, Matthias didn't seem to care. He began wrapping his hand on the table slowly and humming a tune to himself. To the trained ear it could be heard that this tune was a song of victory, sung every year to celebrate the triumph of the Jews over their enemies during times of old. Matthias stopped his humming and turned to the queen, he smiled a bit.

"Your father was a civil servant." Matthias said speaking of Menashe II.
"It's too bad all of his children turned out to be glorious failures. Where is your brother Highness? Worshiping with the pagans in some temple somewhere? And your sister? No one's seen her in a few years. Probably ran of with gentiles like her friend Chana." Matthias said before taking his hand of the table and placing them on his knees. He leaned back in his chair.
"But you know can probably tell from my name that I don't really care much for that sort of thing. For too long your family has held the noose of the nation tighter and tighter. Shimon the High Priest before Eli knew it, that's why he killed himself. If only he could see us now." Matthias finished his voice trailing off. The guards behind him remained motionless.

Chaiya smiled at her body guard, whenever she was around she felt safe with her. She knew that Thraele would protect her to the bitter end. But she hoped, she prayed, it would not ever have to come to that. She slowly moved her hand over Thraele as she listened to Matthias ramble on. She felt he was full of himself, that this would all before in a few moments when the military would storm through those doors and explain to her exactly what was going on. Chaiya composed herself, she knew that if she was going to be a leader it was going to have to happen now, Eli didn't seem to be too perturbed by this whole situation, she thought that because of his great faith in God.

"What is it that you want from me?" Chaiya asked sternly.
"What would be so great that you would rebel against the office of the Queen? You know the punishment for that, everyone does!" she said with force.
"One of the things that you learn when you spend time outside the walls of Menassa is that Kings and Queens change names and faces and bloodlines all over the world every day of every year." Matthias said looking at his hands. "When we look at things this way we aren't so hellbent on keeping the same person in power."

Chaiya gripped her hand tighter around Thraele as Matthias moved tilted his head slightly to look at the Nalayan.

"Ah yes, the foreign among us. You are of course free to go at any time you wish. I know you have no stake in what happens to the people of this land and living with that one," he pointed at Chaiya. "Couldn't have been something that's been too pleasant."
Chaiya's face enraged and she jumped to a standing position.
"I will not tolerate such an insult!" she fumed.
"Matthias, let's keep this civil." Eli said motioning with his hands.
"You don't make the decisions her Eli, not anymore." Matthias said pointing at Eli.
"Sit down!" his voice was raised at Chaiya. She sat.
The guards gripped their guns tighter.
Eli looked at the floor and shook his head.
Chaiya looked frantically at Eli hoping he would do something but he just stood there staring at the floor and not saying a word. He refused to look at her.

Another explosion, more gunfire, the rotors of a helicopter could be heard a banging against the room's door and then silence. The guards were not moved.

[Nalaya]

Thraele raised an eyebrow at Matthias's offer to allow her to leave. Did he really think so little of her word? Actually, he likely thought nothing of it at all. Perhaps the priests of Menassa had no honor, but the Yath maintained their own and that could not be purchased, not even with the empty promises of an oath breaker. She had become accustomed to apostates, but that did not mean she held very many in any high regard. Chaiya was not perfect, but she was not a malicious figure either. She was certainly a gentler woman than most Thraele had known. Not much of a leader, not when compared to the Quarval-sharess, but who could compare to the Dread Wolf? Besides, the Dread Wolf was not a genteel figure in Nalaya's history. "I cannot accept your offer of freedom. My fate was decided long, long ago. I must follow my star wherever it leads, even to disaster."

She rolled her shoulders, loosening up like a boxer before a fight, but her expression remained friendly. "You are a...what is that word...revolutionary, then?" she said with steel eyes focused unwaveringly on him. She was paying attention to the guards with her peripheral vision, but Matthias was her primary focus. It was tempting to lunge for him so that he could serve as unwilling meat shield. However, that left Chaiya vulnerable and undefended. Combat was always more difficult when you were trying to protect a noncombatant. The Queen's outburst was not helpful. "Siruhi, it is never wise to bait a beast. I speak that as one." It was better to keep him talking, if only to find out what his true intentions were. She wasn't going to risk attacking him if he only meant to use Chaiya as a puppet. If he meant to kill her, however....

"I wonder, Paron Eli, what you have to gain in all this," Thraele said smoothly. "It is apparent what our guest would like. Could it be that Paron Janneas is not under your command? How uncomfortable for a High Priest. Unless, of course, you are working with him. In which case, congratulations, as it is clear who has the upper hand at the moment. It is said that the worst of a thousand deaths falls upon those who break their oaths, those who are to the wicked welcome always. I bid you enjoy it."

She was trying to study the layout of the room even as she tried to prompt conversation. Was there an exit possible? The table would be concealment, but she wasn't certain it would provide cover against military grade small arms. It was tempting to consider using Eli as a shield, but that wasn't really practical. She turned her head to look at Chaiya, a plan slowly forming in her mind. What she needed was the element of surprise. While she was confident that she could take out at least one of the two guards from where she was, she knew it would end with her shot. Realistically, her best chance was going to be if they were moved. All the same, she readied herself to kick over the table so she would have something to throw Chaiya behind if things began to go south. Well, further south, anyway.

[Menassa]

Although she couldn't express it due to the intensity of the situation, on the inside Chaiya wanted to jump for joy when Thraele said that she wouldn't be leaving, even if it meant her life. Chaiya gripped her hand tightly and forced back a smile as she slowly sat down the red beginning to leave her face as she noted her friend's words, she would have to remain calm in order for this to go as smoothly as possible, she felt a certain air of safety with Thraele there, it was such that even the mystery that presented itself could be handled if Thraele was handling it with her. She wasn't aware of ever meeting the man who stood before her, but he talked with her as if he was her equal, in fact, she didn't really understand most of what was happening in the room. One moment she's a queen adored by her people the next she's being held hostage at gunpoint in her own palace. She wondered if anyone was out there fighting for her, if someone would come through that door and behead the smug priest sitting in front of her. For now, she thought, she'd have to find the mettle to continue with this ridiculous rendezvous.

"Now that's a harsh word for- er, I never really did catch your name? You got mine, Matthias, but what's yours?" Matthias asked Thraele sitting back up.
"As to your question, I wouldn't say that the men who killed the wicked King Ammon were Revolutionaries, I'd say they were patriots. That's the funny thing with power though, as I mentioned earlier, it's entirely up to the beholder." Matthias said sitting a bit forward in his chair.
"I've noted your choice foreigner, I'd like you to note that I cannot protect you anymore." Matthias said slightly pointing to the guards behind him.

At this time, the High Priest who was mostly silent loudly exclaimed,"What? How dare you assume, that I! The High priest! The nerve!" Eli was clamoring for words, his deep voice trailing off with each expression.
"Give it up old man," Matthias said rolling his eyes.
"Well if you must know, Matthias and I are working together." Eli said straightening his turban.
"Get out." Matthias said sharply to Eli.
"What?"
"Get out." he repeated in the same curt voice.
"Excuse me, Matthias but I-" one of the guards pointed his gun at Eli.
"I will be leaving then." Eli said stammering towards the door.

As Eli he shuffled along the bells at the bottom of his blue over-tunic making clinking noises Matthias raised his fist slightly in the air. "You can't mean right now?" Eli asked his face getting red and spitting a bit on his beard, Matthias said nothing. Eli slowly lifted his turban and the golden plaque tied to it off of his head and placed it on the table. He shuffled out the doorway with his head bowed and uncovered. The guards then shut the door with a loud thud. It seemed that all the noise coming from behind the door had completely stopped, however the noise behind them out in the city seemed to be getting louder and more thunderous. The sounds of explosions seemed to be coming in more and more frequently and jets could be heard taking off, presumably from the airport near the palace.

Matthais put on the turban of the High Priest and fixated it so it sat rightly on his head.
"Looks fine I think?" he asked the guards, they said nothing.
"I did so dread his presence," Matthias said sitting back down. "
He seems like such a sycophant, not to worry, he served his purpose, however, back to the manner at hand. I think it is fair to say that we've devolved into a full fledged Coup d'état. No need to beat around the bush then. We're going to wait in here until all that fighting dies down, which might take a long time, so we all better get comfortable with each other, any questions?" Matthias ended.

Chaiya was frozen, she desperetly looked to Thraele for guidance.

[Nalaya]

Thraele's tattooed face was relaxing into a leonine impassivity now as she looked at Matthias, lending her an air of inscrutability. It was never easy to tell what she was thinking or feeling, though she was expressive as far as those who knew her were concerned. She was experienced enough to know that the passions she chased and embraced had to sometimes be concealed beneath other feelings, however.

"I am merely a servant, Paron," she demurred when he asked her name. Thraele was willing to give him her name, at least the shortened version she wore in this foreign land, but not her full one. It was less fear of his power and more that apostates tripped themselves over the words of the faithful, which was embarrassing for everyone involved. Besides, he would not appreciate the significance nor understand what she was. She wasn't particularly bothered by the presence of the guards or his comment that he could not protect her. She had not survived this long solely on the graces of others.

She touched her own temple, following a bold line of black down to her cheek with her fingertips. Her tattoos marked her as obviously different, as did her bronze skin and sun-bleached hair. She was tall for a woman, even outside of Nalaya, which lent itself to a sometimes intimidating and sometimes reassuring air.

Thraele raised an eyebrow at Matthias's comments about Eli. It was impolite to speak so of an ally, or at the very least unwise. Even if the former High Priest had no power, he was still a man who could kill. Well, actually, she wasn't certain that he had it in him. In her experience, true power found its home in those who were willing to wade through rivers of blood and fire to claim it. It was entirely possible that this Matthias was one such person, though he lacked the raw animal charisma of the Dread Wolf and the other warlords that she had known.

"Then we will wait," she said, the familiar sounds of war rushing over her like a balm for the nerves. It was a world she knew all the rules to. "I do hope we can maintain this level of courtesy, Paron."

If she was going to have to kill someone, it cost her nothing to be polite about it. Not that she immediately planned on attempting to murder Matthias. Again, that was not her duty, though she wouldn't hesitate if she needed to.

When Chaiya looked over at her, Thraele flashed her a small, fleeting smile of reassurance. It was almost more a ghost of an expression than an expression, but it was there and easily readable to someone who had been around her as much as the Queen had. It wasn't often that Thraele really smiled, but she would make an effort for her ward's peace of mind. Hopefully Matthias was reasonable, even if he was excessively enamored of himself. Perhaps that was even a way to safety.

[Menassa]

Matthias quickly smiled and nodded a bit at the servant, and this his face went back to a serious tone as if to imply his original smile was sarcastic in nature, which it was. Matthias felt that for a foreigner the servant wasn't exhibiting the proper respect that he would usually garner as a priest of God. But then again, he only really liked to use that title when it afforded him certain privileges such as respect from foreigners. Perhaps Matthias could waste time by playing some verbal chess with this seemingly silent foreigner? His plans were all ready well under way with no possible hopes of them being stopped, all he had to do was wait and the kingdom was his. That's it, he thought, just wait, with this insufferable little girl who deserves a crown no more than a babe still suckling. Matthias scowled when he thought this, he wasn't one for hiding his thoughts through his expressions, he wanted to convey this to Chaiya and her little servant.

"Let's just gloss over the fact that you answered none of my questions," Matthias said sitting back in his chair and looking around the room.
"Ah, a Newspaper! I love Newspapers!" he said picking up the Newspaper that Eli had been reading earlier.
"Oh no!" he mocked. "The Nassi of the tribe of Dan died? How unfortunate." Matthias looked up. "Unfortunate that they forgot the part about how he was a pedophile." he threw the newspaper on the floor. "The Nassi of Reuven was a gambler and the Nassi of Shimon was a drunkard. Each one of your twelve princes." he said turning to Thraele to translate, mocking her lack of translation of Paron. "Each one of them was a rapist, a liar, a pedophile, and a sycophant all of them had to be put down." he ended slamming his hand on the table.

"You didn't," Chaiya laughed unsure of that accusation herself.
"Oh, I did, by myself. Why do you think it is that I am called Matthias? I am the righteous judge as in the days of old."
Chiya looked around frantically. "You killed 12 people!" she stammered.
"I protected this nation, something you weren't prepared to do!" Matthias shouted back in an assertion of dominance.
"You're a monster!" Chaiya yelled with a certain assertion she did not realize she had.
"You're the monster!" Matthias retorted practically shouting and pointing at Chaiya. "You prance around here with your outlanders and sit and watch your sacrifices preformed by your 'High Priest' that buffoon. No more fit to be a judge than any of your 'princes' were to rule their tribes. Each one worse than the last. I did this nation a service." Matthias began to move toward Chaiya, he threw a chair out of his way but he stopped just before he reached her. "Just like in the days of Matthias it was said, so to it shall be said here, that I delivered the impure into the hands of the pure," Matthias ended his tirade, still standing almost above Chaiya, he was close enough where he could look down at her.

Chaiya looked around the room then directly at Matthias. "You killed 12 innocent people, with no court, not trial, you're a monster." With tears welling up in her eyes she spat in Matthias's face.

[Nalaya]

Thraele knew she had to do something when Chaiya spit in his face. That was an insult that a man like Matthias would feel needed instant retaliation. Clearly murder wasn't a problem for him...not that it had ever been a problem for her. Thraele's fingers brushed the hilt of the stiletto she wore at the back of her belt. Kill him, her instincts screamed at her. But there were those guards by the door with rifles that could not be ignored. She surged to her feet, stepping between Chaiya and Matthias. She had no problem with being right in his face.

Sometimes, Chaiya made it hard to be her bodyguard. Thraele would never understand how it was so hard to not antagonize someone with weapons, but maybe she just came from an excessively polite country...albeit one populated by a bunch of murderous warlords, religious zealots, and ferocious soldiers. Chaiya might be able to see the long fingers curled around the hilt of her slim, lethal blade, but it would not be readily apparent to Matthias or his men. She would need an element of surprise if push came to shove. Besides, now she and Matthias were between Chaiya and the guns. That was better, though still not ideal. Thraele would have preferred several miles between Chaiya and those guns instead.

"I am trying very hard to be a considerate woman," Thraele said, her steel eyes fearsome when they looked at Matthias. "Maybe you do not appreciate how difficult that is for a creature of my nature. But as I said, we are all friends here. No hostility from me. No hostility from you. Surely this is a reasonable accord? Her Majesty is a girl. I am not. We can reach an agreement, I am certain of it. That you have apparently killed twelve men is a problem, but it is not my problem, Paron. I have known many who have killed more. So let us sit and talk and not do anything that you will regret later."

Thraele knew she could kill this man, but she doubted that she would be able to keep Chaiya alive if she did so. They needed another chance. That meant continuing to play relatively nice. She didn't look back at her ward, but she did say, "Chaiya, xun naut zirn l'fuer'yon." It was the same warning she had given before: do not feed the beast. It came out automatically in her native tongue and she didn't bother to translate. She was too focused on the man in front of her. If he so much as twitched wrong, she would aid him in looking upon the face of the divine.

At times like this, one had to have faith, and Thraele was a creature of that.

[Menassa]

Matthias blinked a few times at Chaiya after spat in his face. Slowly, he grabbed part of his robe and wiped away the spit without saying a word. Funnily enough, he didn't seem to be that enraged by the event. When Chaiya did it the guards advanced forward a bit with their weapons but Matthias raised his hand as if to call them off. Slowly, Matthias moved back to his seat at the other end of the table and sat down there his face still bearing the same stone cold expression as before he was spat at.

"It's funny, the fate of Menassa is about to be decided not by her queen, but by a foreign servant." Matthias said looking at his reflection in the wooden table.
Matthias then looked up at Thraele and smiled. "Are you familiar with the laws about enslaving foreigners in Menassa? Once a foreigner is enslaved they cannot be free. Can you believe that?" Matthias shrugged. "You can understand, why I would find it ironic that you are speaking on behalf of this child, and why my next proposal is going to seem even more ironic."

Matthias got up from his place and slowly walked over to the window. He had his hands behind his back as he looked out onto the burning city, the noise was still at the same level as it was before, only the amount of gunfire had increased. "I'm ready to make a deal with the unnamed servant, I want you to enslave our mutual friend here. We'll parade her out on the palace balcony in front of the whole nation to see, they'll know that there queen was sold to an outlander for the price of a mere paper." Matthias ended.

"You can't!" Chaiya stammered out as she quickly turned to Matthias's new location causing her hair to fray back and forth. She didn't really know what Matthias's end game was, but she figured he intended to kill her and she was not planning to go down without a fight. However this recent talk of enslavement had struck a chord with her, after all, it was to be expected, she was a queen the leader of a nation.

"Oh my girl, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation that you're in, I can do whatever I want." Matthias said maniacally, emphasizing the word 'whatever.'
"That's the only way both of you leave here alive, we'll decide what happens after the procession is over what I want to do with the noble queen, but you servant will be extended the offer of freedom again." Matthias ended before slowly adjusting his turban.

"Doesn't quite fit, as I had hoped." he muttered to himself as he walked back to the table and sat down again, this time, looking directly at Chaiya.

[Nalaya]

"A deal presumes both parties have something to gain," Thraele said with amusement. "And that both are willing to deal."

She smiled, showing her teeth complete with filed fangs. Anyone who knew anything about the Yath knew that it was a dangerous expression. "...the weight of justice shall crush those who exalt themselves wrongly over the children of the divine..." she quoted. It was not a verse from their holy book, but one from her own. Her faith had been born out of slavery, at least in part. That was how the Handmaiden's story had begun, the first Quarval-sharess. The wars of conquest that had followed and birthed the Illythiiri Empire were of course an extension of the spread of the religion.

She was a priestess of L'i'dol first, before everything else, even before being Chaiya's bodyguard. She was not going to hold a slave. Unlike many, Thraele was very much ready to die for her religious convictions. She leaned back in her chair, adjusting her posture and her knives subtly. The weight of her handgun in her jacket was familiar and prompted thought. How hard would it be to throw Chaiya behind a table and go out like the lion she was?

This man was not an Arzhani. Whatever he said, he did not have the right to do wholly as he pleased. Even if he had been, the divine ruled all in both the world of men and the world of spirits. No one was above answering to the spirits and the eternal was a far more important than the transitory sufferings of the now.

[Menassa]

"Raishes chachma yiras HaShem, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom." Matthias said with a smirk widely across his face. "If you do not think you have something to gain from this little agreement of ours than I'll show you how you have something to lose, then maybe, just maybe, you'll understand this verse."

Matthias reached into his white linen robe and pulled out a small radio. "Bring them in," he whispered into the speaker as he pushed down the button. As Matthias put the radio away there was some shuffling outside of the door, he slowly smiled and nodded a bit at the women in front of him, he stroked his pointed beard a bit until the doors behind him could be heard creaking open.

The guards who stood in front of the door moved aside as the door slowly moved open. Standing in the door way was two little girls, fear stricken upon their faces as two giant soldiers stood behind them and prodded them into the room with their rifles. The girls looked disheveled to say the least their fine clothes were tattered and their hair was in disarray, however they didn't appear to have any bruises about their body or any blemishes of any kind.

"Come children," Matthias said as he ushered the children over to him. "These are the children of the..." Matthias paused for a moment thinking of the word he was about to use. "Ambassador ... representative..." he turned sharply to the queen. "Nassi of the tribe of Dan. You know, the one that's been in the news for his murder and all." Matthias looked up at the sky thinking for a bit. "Oh I seem to recall that he was also in the news for his missing children. Well would you look at this, I seem to have found his children, and we wouldn't want anything happening to them, would we?" Matthias asked glaring at Thraele.

"Now, let's make a deal!" Matthias practically shouted as he sat back in his chair.